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If you want to sew like a pro, you have to act like a professional. The professional seamstress has years of experience, and every item that they purchase has a purpose. Sewing is fun, exciting and complicated when you’re just starting out. These few tips that I’m going to be sharing with you today can […]

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At the heart of it, quilting only requires a few simple tools: needle, thread and fabric. However, if you are serious about this craft, you’ll need a few extra things to make your quilts look as beautiful and professional as they ones you admire in books and online. Every quilter has their own list of […]

The post The 12 Basic Tools You Need to Start Quilting appeared first on Quilter's Review.

Once you’ve pieced your beautiful quilt top, it’s time to choose your backing! There are so many fabrics out there and using 108″ wide backing does make things easier, but we will help you know how much fabric you need when using standard 42″ wide fabric.

Here are some items you’ll be needing:

• Pencil
• Paper
• Calculator
• Your finished quilt top
• A measuring tape or template

Step 1: Measure the length and width of your quilt top.

Step 2: Add an extra 8 inches to both the length and width of your quilt if it’s going to ...

Whether you’re a beginner or experienced quilter, there are certain techniques that you should master if you want to advance your skill. After all, practice makes perfect. From cutting to pressing and properly measuring borders, here are nine techniques that every quilter should master. 1. Rotary Cutting Rotary cutting is a skill that every new […]

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Quilters need to pick their fabric strategically, but a lot of quilters will go to their local fabric store and pick up the same group of cotton fabrics year after year. Perhaps it’s the comfort in knowing that the fabric works well for them, but there are others who will go in and try different […]

The post What’s the Best Fabric for Quilting? appeared first on Quilter's Review.

What’s the simplest way to improve your quilting skills? Learning how to press. When you press your seam allowances, you eliminate those little bits of fabric that often get lost and distort your finished blocks. Pressing – the right way – will also save you time because your blocks will fit neatly together when it’s […]

The post How to Properly Press Quilt Blocks and Quilts appeared first on Quilter's Review.

Quilt patterns make our lives easier, but there comes a point where we want to make our own designs. Whether you’re a beginner or have been quilting for years, you can make your own quilt design and layouts. Here’s how to design your own quilt: Master the Basics of Quilt Construction Before you can really […]

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We recently had the wonderful opportunity to have one of our very close quilty friends, Christopher Thompson aka The Tattooed Quilter (@the_tattooed_quilter), come visit the Fat Quarter Shop and make some video tutorials with us! Today, we are sharing the videos where Christopher shows us his newest fabric collections, Blossom, and beginner-friendly tutorials on some more advanced quilting techniques such as applique and foundation paper piecing.

Blossom Basics

Christopher’s newest basics collection, Blossom for Riley Blake Fabrics, is here! This collection comes in 40 different colors, from pastels to saturated colors (and a dash of metallics), and is so ...

Who says pincushions have to look like tomatoes!? The sky’s the limit when it comes to these little patchwork pinnies. Carrie Nelson brings us a delightful selection of 40 patchwork pincushions in her book, Pin Pals. She visited the Fat Quarter Shop studio to film a few videos showing us how she assembles and personalizes each one of these little patchwork gems, and how you, too, can play with these tiny tuffets and make them your own.

Pin Pals by Carrie Nelson

40 Patchwork Pinnies, Poppets and Pincushions with Pizzazz (Martingale)

These pincushions are quick to stitch and so ...

We recently had the wonderful opportunity to have one of our very close quilty friends, Christopher Thompson, aka The Tattooed Quilter (@the_tattooed_quilter), come visit the Fat Quarter Shop and make some video tutorials with us! Today, we are sharing the video tutorials where Christopher shows us tips and tricks on how to photo your project, organize your quilting space, and ways to machine quilt and bind your projects.

How to photo your Project

You’ve made your project: hooray! Now it’s time to photo it for social media but the question is how. If you’ve checked out Christopher ...

You’re finally confident enough to tackle a big quilting project. There’s just one problem: you have a small home sewing machine. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. But here’s the thing – you don’t need a midarm or longarm machine to make big, beautiful quilts. Many quilters regularly quilt large quilts on a small domestic machine. […]

The post 8 Tips for Quilting a Large Quilt on a Home Sewing Machine appeared first on Quilter's Review.

Say you want to make a Double Split Rectangle. For example, 2.5"x4.5".

Cutting
Add 1/2" to the length and cut one Base = 2.5"x5 (blue)
Add 1" to the length and cut two Wings = 2.5" x 5.5" (pink, A & B)
[Full disclosure: I'm adding 1/4" width, just for fudge room. Although it hasn't proved necessary in testing.]

Marking
On top end of Base, mark center. And marks 1/4" on each side of center.
On bottom end of Base, mark 1/4" from each side.